The lubricant reservoirs, moving parts, filtration media and devices among other areas in the lubricant systems of industrial equipment can accumulate deposits due to the oxidation and/or thermal decomposition of the lubricant and/or additives present in the lubricant over time.
It is not uncommon, in some equipment and in some instances, for such equipment, and their lubricant systems, to operate over long periods of time without being drained and/or cleaned. These periods of time may even extend into five to ten years of operation without any such maintenance.
The deposits that can build up over these periods often impede heat transfer from the system and, when they accumulate on moving parts and other system mechanicals, cause malfunctions of these systems and components including sticking of critical valves and other parts. Such effects may result in unscheduled downtime and even significant damage to the piece of the equipment in question.
There is a need for compositions, and methods of using such compositions, that allow for the efficient and effective removal of such deposits from the lubricant systems, mechanical and electronic components, filters and filtration components of the equipment.